Nobody Compares To You
by Ms Chanadler Bong
Summary: Hey guys! This is an AU about Quinn moving back to Lima and helping Sam coach the glee club. I'm not sure if people still read Fabrevans fics but I've fallen back in love with them recently and thought of writing this. I haven't written in a while, so please let me know what you think! Hope you like it x
1. Chapter 1

Quinn walked into the empty room. No matter how far she ended up going from it, this room always felt like home. She looked at the empty chairs stacked in front of her, remembering all the times she had sat there, watching her friends perform. It had been three years since she was last here, she had since graduated from Yale and was a practicing lawyer. Success had finally found its way to Quinn but something always felt missing.

"Quinn?" Someone called from behind her.

The familiar voice had snapped Quinn out of her thoughts. She didn't even need to turn around to know who it was.

"Hey Sam." Quinn said, turning around with a huge smile on her face.

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked, the excitement evident in his voice as he hugged her.

"I'm not sure." Quinn said.

Sam looked at her with a confused expression.

"I guess I just missed home." Quinn said, with a small smile.

"Well, we're glad to have you. How've you been? The last I heard, you were working in New York." Sam said, unstacking two chairs for him and Quinn.

"Yeah, I was working with this law firm. Things were good but I decided I need something different. So I quit." Quinn said, looking down at her hands.

"So, does that mean you're going to be sticking around?" Sam said with his signature grin.

"Yes." Quinn said, trying not to show how happy she was to see him.

"That's great! Your timing is perfect actually!" Sam said.

"Why?" Quinn asked.

"The kids this year are great but they just don't seem to get along. I don't really know what to do. I've tried to get through to them but nothing seems to work. I just.. I don't know what to do." Sam said, looking visibly upset.

"That really sucks, Sam. But I don't know how I can help." Quinn said.

"You've always been able to help me, when I've been stuck, I know together we'll be able to work something out. I mean that is, if you're okay helping me coach the glee club for the next few weeks." Sam said, looking at Quinn with puppy dog eyes.

Quinn pretended to think for a moment. "Hmm, I guess, I could try and help." She said with a smile.

Sam had missed Quinn but it was something he had always brushed aside. I miss everyone, he would tell himself because letting himself think about just Quinn, would be too hard. They had tried to stay in touch but life had always gotten in the way. He knew she was living a busy life and didn't want to disturb her. He directed all his attention to focusing on the glee club and trying to make sure it was a place that these kids always got to call home. Glee club had saved him, made him into the man he had become and he knew how much it could mean to someone else who, was lost.

"Sam?" Quinn asked, trying to get Sam's attention.

"Yeah." Sam said.

"Are you alright?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah, why?" Sam asked.

"Because you've been staring into space for the past five minutes. What have you been thinking about?" Quinn asked.

"I was thinking about how I'm feeling Breadsticks for dinner. What do you say?" Sam asked, with a smile.

"Sounds perfect." Quinn said, her excitement evident, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. She didn't know why she was so excited. It was just dinner, between two friends, right?

Before either of them could say anything else, the bell rang and students began filling in for glee rehearsals. During the rehearsal, Quinn tried to be as involved as she could be but she found it hard to focus; she couldn't help but be in awe of how much Sam had grown. He had become such a leader, the kind of teacher these kids need. He had become someone they could believe in, someone she could believe in.


	2. Chapter 2

Sam put on his blazer, looking himself up and down in the mirror. He knew they were only going to Breadsticks but he felt the need to dress up for Quinn. She had only been back for a few hours but it was as if Quinn had breathed new life into Sam. There was nothing wrong with Sam's life, he had everything he always thought he'd wanted; he had a good job, he was saving up to buy his parents a house, everything was on track. But it always felt like he was living the same day over and over again. And with Quinn here, it was finally feeling like that was about to change.

Quinn straightened her knee length, off white dress for the fifth time. She didn't know why she was so nervous, it was only just dinner. As she put the final touches on her makeup, Quinn couldn't help but think about her first date with Sam. How she had tried her best to not let him charm her. She had never told him but she had found his jokes really endearing. Whenever he would start doing an impression, his eyes would light up like Christmas tree, more so when he thought she found them funny. A knot began to form in Quinn's stomach, a mix of nostalgia and regret taking over her. He had always been so good to her and she couldn't help but think that they might still have been together, had she not cheated on him. Being prom queen was all that had mattered back then but going through life and seeing what people could really be like, had made Quinn realise how important it was to cherish someone like Sam. Someone who would love her, even at her worst.

Quinn was snapped out of her thoughts by a knock on her door.

"Hey Sam." Quinn said, opening the door.

"Wow. You look beautiful." Sam said, clearly in awe of her.

Quinn blushed at the comment. "You don't look so bad yourself." She said, looking him up and down and then looking away.

"Should we go?" Sam asked, extending his arm for Quinn to take.

"We shall." Quinn said with a small smile as she took Sam's hand.

By the time Sam and Quinn got to breadsticks, they were both starving; so, they spent the beginning of their night, deciding what to order and practically inhaling their food once it came.

"Um, I forgot to ask, how's Puck?" Sam said, chewing a bite of his pasta.

"I don't know, I haven't spoken to him, in a while." Quinn said, playing with the food on her plate.

Sam looked at Quinn with a confused expression on his face. "Wait, you guys broke up?" He asked.

"Yeah, about six months ago." Quinn said, trying to avoid Sam's gaze.

"What happened?" Sam asked.

Quinn looked everywhere, but at Sam. She didn't want to look at him, knowing she was about to try.

"I'm sorry Quinn, you don't have to talk about it." Sam said, reaching for her hand.

Quinn looked at Sam's hand on hers and smiled to herself.

"No, it's not that." Quinn said.

"Then, what is it?" Sam asked.

"I don't' really know." Quinn said, with a small chuckle, brushing the small tear off her cheek.

Sam really didn't know what to say, he tried to think of something supportive to say but decided to go with a reassuring smile instead.

"I just.. I had everything in New York. I just wasn't happy. Something always felt missing, even when Puck and I were together. We really tried to make it work but I guess the distance got in the way. Or maybe, we just realised we weren't what the other was looking for. Quinn paused for a second, starting to cry again.

She began again, this time talking between sobs. "I've just been walking around with this empty feeling for no reason. And finally, last week, I decided to quit my job and come to Lima because it was all just too much. I didn't know what else to do. And sitting here, with you, in Breadsticks, it's the only time, I haven't felt like a fish out of water. I finally feel like, I can breathe easy, you know?"

Sam just stared at Quinn for a moment. He couldn't help feel absolutely shattered seeing Quinn like this. He wanted to protect her, make her know she was loved. So he did the only thing he could think of. He walked over and sat down next to Quinn and wrapped her in his arms. Quinn hugged him back, beginning to cry, against his chest. He held her, letting her cry in his arms, hoping to God he was making her feel better. In that moment, he would've done anything to take her pain away.

After what had felt like an eternity, Quinn looked up from Sam's chest. Tears were still flowing down her face but there was a smile on her face. Sam smiled back at her, wiping away her tears.

"Thank you, Sam." Quinn said.

"Always." Sam said, with a smile.

Sam and Quinn continued to talk for the rest of the night, reminiscing about glee club and high school. Both of them were relinquished from the weight of the world and their responsibilities for a few moments, finally feeling happy for the first time, in as long as either of them could remember.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam and Quinn were closer now than ever. They spent every second together and Quinn had never felt better. Since she had decided to help Sam with the glee club, they went to Mr. Shue to allow her to be a temporary teacher at the school.

"Quinn?" Mr. Shue jumped up from his chair upon seeing the blonde.

"Hey!" Quinn said, hugging Mr. Shue.

"What are you doing here?" Mr. Shue asked.

"I quit my job in New York and decided to come home." Quinn said, taking a seat.

"How come?" Mr. Shue asked.

"I just needed to be home, I guess." Quinn said with a smile.

"Well, it's so good to see you." Mr. Shue said with a smile.

"Given all the drama that's going on in the glee club, I asked Quinn to help me out for a few weeks. Is that okay?" Sam asked.

"Of course, the more the merrier!" Mr. Shue said.

They continued to talk for a while, catching each other up on all that had happened in the past three years. It felt like nothing had changed, almost as if Quinn had never left.

The next day, Sam decided to officially introduce Quinn to the glee club.

"Hey guys, I'd like to introduce to someone very special. This is Quinn, she's super talented. We used to be together in glee club and now she's here to help me out for the next few weeks." Sam said with a smile.

"I know who you are! You're a legend at this school, you used to be head cheerleader and went onto to go to Yale." A tall brunette in a cheerios uniform shouted from the front row.

Quinn smiled. She was instantly reminded of meeting Kitty and how she had learnt everything about Quinn.

"Hey everyone, don't mind me. I'm just here to observe and help out in whatever way I can." Quinn said with a warm smile.

"Now that Quinn is here, I think we should start practicing for Sectionals. I was thinking of having a song with Josh, Kate and Alex. I think your voices would go very well together." Sam said.

The tension in the room was palpable. Quinn could sense this was the discord, Sam had told her about. Members of the club began whispering among themselves.

"I'm not singing with him." Josh said. He was a tall blonde, who had transferred schools last year. He reminded Sam a lot of himself.

"Why?" Sam asked, sounding a little irritated.

Josh didn't say anything.

"I don't want to sing with you either." Alex said. Alex was a tall brunette who was originally from New York but had lived in Lima for the past five years. He had a beautiful voice and seemed to be liked by everyone.

Josh got up, full of rage. He was about to punch Alex, when Sam intervened.

"Enough!" Sam shouted. "What has happened to the two of you? Josh, I want you to come see me, after school."

"But Mr. Evans.." Josh said.

"No. Things cannot work like this. It is okay to have differences, but you have to work through them. This is a family, we need to start acting like one." Sam said, feeling utterly frustrated. He looked over at Quinn, who was also looking at him. She smiled at him reassuringly.

After glee club, Sam had to teach an English class and so he didn't get a chance to talk to her about any of what had just happened. He told her he would meet in the teacher's lounge, after.

Quinn had decided to go grab some coffee, while Sam was in class. Once she was back, she decided to head to the teacher's lounge. She had barely entered, when she saw Sam talking to a tall, thin brunette. She was in a knee length blue dress and black heels. Quinn hated to admit it, but she was beautiful. The woman seemed very interested in Sam, laughing at his jokes and lightly touching his arm from time to time. Seeing this, a pit formed in Quinn's stomach. She knew she had no right over Sam but she thought they were finally getting close.

"Quinn!" Sam said from across the room.

"Hey." Quinn said, taking a second to clear her head as she talked over to Sam and the woman.

Quinn smiled at the woman and she smiled back.

"Oh Quinn, this is Olivia. She teaches History here. Olivia, this is Quinn. She's a lawyer and a McKinley High Alum." Sam said with a smile as he introduced the two.

"It's nice to meet you." Olivia said, extending her hand.

"You too." Quinn said, shaking her hand.

"I better get going, I'm going to be late to class. I'll see you guys." Olivia said with a smile as she left.

"She seems nice." Quinn said.

"Yeah, she's super nice and fun." Sam asked.

"Are you guys…?" Quinn asked, feeling stupid for even asking.

Sam took a second to understand what Quinn meant. "Together? No, why would you think that?"

"She seems into you." The words killing Quinn as she said them.

"Nah, we're just friends." Sam said.

"Well, she clearly wants to be more." Quinn said, trying to see Sam's reaction but not being able to tell what he was thinking. She had to admit, she was very relieved to know that they weren't together.

"I just realised, I never asked you, what was going on with you. Are you seeing anyone?" Quinn asked, hoping again hope that he would say no.

"Nope." Sam said.

It was as if Quinn could finally let out the sigh, she didn't even know she was holding. She tried to hide her happiness but failed.

"What?" Sam asked with a smile.

"Nothing." Quinn said, with a smile.

Sam and Quinn sat and talked in the lounge till Josh came in to meet Sam. The two of them decided to go and talk somewhere quiet. Quinn stayed in the lounge, wanting to give them their space. Once they had left, Quinn realised she had left her scarf in the choir room. She decided to go get it, assuming Sam and josh had gone somewhere else. As she walked in, she heard Sam and Josh talking in the office next to the choir room. She didn't mean to eavesdrop. She was just very interested in what was causing all this drama.

"What is going on?" Sam asked.

"I don't know, if I should talk to you, about this." Josh said, taking a seat in front of Sam and taking his bag off.

"You can talk to me about anything. I'll try my best to help." Sam said.

Josh took a deep breath and began. "I started dating Kate in the beginning of this year. She played hard to get for a while but she finally decided to give me a chance. I thought we were happy but everyone keeps telling me she's cheating on me with Alex. I don't want to believe it but I think it's true. I really really love her but I don't know if I can stay with her knowing she cheated on me. What should I do?"

Sam just stared at Josh for a moment. He thought about the whole situation that happened between Quinn, Finn and him in his Sophomore year. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of weird parallel, the universe was presenting to him, especially with Quinn back.

Quinn couldn't believe how similar the two situations seemed. She had always tried to push thoughts of her cheating on Sam away. She couldn't help but worry about their past coming back to haunt her and Sam. She didn't want all of this to remind Sam of everything that had happened, not that he could forget. She kind of hoped, he would tell Josh to stay with Kate. Maybe it meant she and Sam still had a chance.


	4. Chapter 4

"Mr. Evans?" Josh asked, trying to get Sam's attention.

"Yeah." Sam said, snapping out of his flashback.

"Have you ever been through something like this?" Josh asked.

"I have been through the exact same situation, actually." Sam said.

"What?" Josh asked, a little confused.

"Yeah, my high school girlfriend cheated on me with one of my best friends. She never really admitted it." Sam said, some feelings of hurt rushing back.

"Wow. So, what did you do?" Josh asked.

" For a while, I tried to pretend that none of it was happening. I just kept telling myself that I couldn't lose her, so I started singing songs dedicated to her. I guess it was my way of trying to win her back. But eventually, I couldn't pretend anymore and I broke up with her." Sam said, looking down at his hands. The memory of Quinn standing in front of him, in her red sweater as he broke up with her, flashed before his eyes.

"How did you get yourself to pretend it wasn't happening?" Josh asked.

Quinn stood next to the door, still listening. Tears were beginning to form in her eyes. She was finally realising, how much she had really hurt Sam.

"I think… I think I just loved her way too much. I would've told myself anything to make sure I could still be with her." Sam said. It was funny how easily he could be transported back to those days, as if none of the past few years had ever happened.

"So, when did you decide to break with her?" Josh asked.

"When I realised, I couldn't be in love enough for the both of us. I was trying my level best to just keep telling myself that we were okay. That people were wrong, she hadn't kissed him. But I guess, I just realised, you can't make someone love you. When I was breaking up with her, she told me, she wanted to be with me. But.." Sam said.

"If she picked you, why didn't you just stay with her? Isn't that what you wanted?" Josh asked.

"Because I knew she still loved the other guy. You can't be in love with two people, at the same time. She loved him enough to throw away, everything we had. I could've stayed with her but it was only a matter of time, before she went back to him." Sam said.

"So you think, Kate will still love Alex? Even if she says she won't?" Josh asked.

"Look, you don't have to do what I did. You have to do what you think is right. Stop trying to telling yourself, what you want to hear. You know in your heart, what is going on and how you feel about it. " Sam said.

Josh took a deep breath. "I know she's cheating on me, I know that but I just.. I can't."

"You don't have to break up with her. If you think that you guys can work through this, then you should." Sam said.

"What if she keeps cheating on me?" Josh asked.

"You need to take a decision that's fair for you. It's okay, if you decide that you love yourself more than you love her." Sam said.

Quinn put her hand on her mouth, trying to stop the sounds of her sobbing from escaping. She couldn't believe how selfish, she had been. Sam had been so wonderful to her, in ways she had always wanted but she had decided to throw it, all for a plastic crown.

"I just, I always thought we would end up together. You know? Like I would marry her." Josh said.

"I know, I did too. And maybe you still will, life is long and you never know what may happen." Sam said.

Quinn smiled at the thought that Sam might still want to be with her.

"What about the guy? Did you end up staying friends?" Josh asked, after a while.

"Yeah, he was and always will be my best friend. That's what I meant, when I said you guys are a family. No matter what happens, you will rise above all of this high school drama and find your way back to each other. Some things will always be bigger than who stole whose girlfriend and who got to be captain of the football team." Sam said, putting a hand on Josh's shoulder.

"Thanks, Mr. Evans. I'm not sure what I want to do but I think no matter what I decide, I'll be okay." Josh said, with a smile as he picked up his bag and left the room.

Quinn began walking, as she saw Josh coming out of the room. She ran as fast as she could and wentinto the first room that she saw open. She began to cry again, all the feelings she had spent so long suppressing, were rushing to the surface. She tried to calm herself down, but she couldn't.

Sam collected his things and got ready to leave. His conversation with Josh was a lot heavier than he had expected and he needed some time to think. As he was walking down the hall, he could hear the sound of someone crying. He followed the sound and found that it was coming from the astronomy room.

"Quinn?" Sam asked, walking into the room.

Quinn looked up, tears streaming down her face.

Sam dropped his stuff and rushed over to Quinn.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked, wrapping his arms around her.

Quinn didn't say anything, she just continued to cry. Sam didn't push Quinn to talk, he just sat with her, holding her. He looked around the room, looking up at the planets and then at the girl in his arms, who was once his universe. He wondered how they always found their way back to this room and to each other.

Quinn wanted to be able to stop crying; to just look up at Sam and tell him, how sorry she was. How if she could go back, she would do it all so much better. But here they were again, Sam holding her, fixing her, as she fell apart.


	5. Chapter 5

Even though she had stopped crying, Quinn just stayed in Sam's arms for a while. She kept trying to go over a speech, in her head; trying to figure out the right words to say, all that she had wanted to, for so many years. But no matter how much she tried, no words seemed to be right.

Before she even knew it, she had begun talking, startling Sam a little.

"I'm so sorry, Sam." Quinn said, barely looking up at him.

"For what?" Sam asked, visibly confused.

"I just.. I keep looking back at my life and every time I do, I think about all the things I would do differently. I keep going back to the moment, when I kissed Finn and I just keep wishing that I could stop myself. I would do anything, to just go back to that moment. But I can't and I'm sorry that I did that to you, to us. But more than anything, I'm so sorry that it took me this long, to realise how much I hurt you. " Quinn said, tears falling down her face again.

Sam didn't say anything for a few moments. He didn't really know how to react. A part of him was happy to hear Quinn finally acknowledge how much she had hurt him but the other part hated seeing her like this.

"We all make mistakes, Quinn." Sam finally said.

"How can you be so forgiving? I was horrible to you! You were the best boyfriend in the world and I took all of it for granted. And despite everything, you never stopped being a friend to me." Quinn said, raising her voice a little as she pulling away from Sam to finally look at him.

"Quinn, high school was a very long time ago. Just because we broke up, it didn't mean that I didn't want you in my life anymore. You were and always will be important to me. And you were a good friend to me too, you helped me take care of Stacy and Stevie, when I was homeless. You were the only support system, I had." Sam said.

"I just keep looking back at all the mistakes that I have made. When I met you, I had promised, I would be different. I was going to be better. You made me better, Sam. I can't believe, how I selfish I was, how selfish I still am." Quinn said.

"You're not selfish, Quinn. You always came back when the glee club needed you. Even now, you're spending all your time, helping me run the place. You always step up, when it counts. You were a lost teenager, you did what you thought was right. It doesn't make you a bad person, it just makes you human." Sam said.

"How are you still being to supportive? I heard the conversation you had with Josh. If it's brought up all of these feelings for me, I can't even imagine, how you feel." Quinn said.

Sam took a deep breath and thought for a second. He was overcome with all of these feelings, he didn't even know he had. As much as he wanted to put it all behind him, he could still feel pangs of hurt, gnawing at him. He decided to say what he had wanted to, all this while.

"It took me a very long time to get over you, Quinn. You were my first love and I hated the fact that you picked Finn. But after everything I went through with my family, I just realised there was no room in my life for holding onto that kind of hurt. Plus you can't be I realised, you can't be mad at someone for not love you." Sam said.

The words pierced through Quinn's heart. She hated the fact that Sam thought she didn't love him, but she couldn't blame him. Her actions had made it clear, how for granted she had taken him.

"For what it's worth, I did love you." Quinn said, looking Sam in the eyes.

"Just not enough." Sam said, almost in a whisper.

Quinn searched his eyes, trying to find anything even remotely close to love.

Sam could see the hurt in Quinn's eyes. He knew she was hoping he would say something, just to let her know that they were going to be okay. And as much as he wanted to make sure he gave Quinn a piece of his mind, he just couldn't do that to her.

"It's all in the past, Quinn. I know you feel like you're the only one who makes mistakes, but you're not. Who you were in high school was pretty great but who you've become is so much better. You've always had all this potential, which is why none of were surprised when you got into Yale. Or when you went onto become a successful lawyer in New York. Who you are and who you will become are because of those mistakes. And as much it killed me to lose you, if it means you get to where you belong, I'll take that hit. Every single time." Sam said, with a small smile. It killed him to think about how things had ended between them. But despite all the bitterness and betrayal, all he really felt towards Quinn was love. That was the kind of hold she had on him, such that she could always find a way back into his heart.

Quinn just stared at Sam for a moment, not knowing what to say. No one in her life had ever supported her, the way Sam had. He always managed to stick around, no matter how much she tried to push him away.

"Thank you for being there. Thank you for not judging me, or leaving me. But more than anything, thank you for being you. With everything that's changing in my world, you are someone who has always been the same. And maybe that's why you were the first name that came to my mind, when I was most lost. Thank you for finding me." Quinn said, hugging Sam.

Sam hugged Quinn back, all their memories flashing before his eyes. Through all that they had been through in the past few years, with the glee club ending and everyone going their separate ways; him and Quinn always seemed to be the same. And maybe that meant something. Maybe that meant everything.


	6. Chapter 6

Quinn lay in her bed, her mind going into overdrive. She hadn't stopped thinking about Sam, for a second. She had no idea why it hadn't taken her this long but she now knew for certain that she was in love with him. Not even the kind of love, you have for someone in high school, but the kind that makes you want to grow old with them. She could almost picture it, her future with Sam. She would be a lawyer here and he would continue teaching. They would buy a little house, in which they could raise their kids. She knew he would be a wonderful father, he was always so great with his siblings. Even when she had wanted Beth back, Sam was the one, she had wanted to raise her with.

Quinn decided that she was going to tell Sam how she felt. She knew she would have to prove herself, show that her feelings were real and she didn't mind. She was willing to wait for Sam, no matter how long it took. She thought of doing it on the day of Sectionals. Quinn was hoping Sam would remember how in love they were, during their sectionals and how things could be like that again, all he had to do was say yes.

While Quinn was trying to plan what to say, her phone buzzed. She looked down at her phone, hoping it was a text from Sam.

"I was thinking of deciding the set list for Sectionals, are you free right now?" Sam's text said.

Quinn couldn't help but smile, she always loved the idea of spending time with Sam. Helping him with Sectionals, meant Quinn had to spend all her time with Sam and she wasn't complaining.

"Yup, meet you at school?" Quinn replied.

"Yeah." Sam responded, within seconds.

Quinn got up from her bed and straightened her dress. Somehow the weight of all of her thoughts had suddenly lifted from her shoulders. Just a text from Sam was enough to make Quinn happy. He was always the reason behind her smile and she was determined to be the reason behind his.

"Hey!" Quinn said enthusiastically as she walked into the choir room.

"Hey. Thanks for coming." Sam said, with a smile as he looked up from the sheets of music in front of him.

"Of course. How is it going?" Quinn asked, taking a seat next to Sam.

"I want to be able to give everyone a chance, but I just don't know how." Sam said, looking visibly frustrated.

"Sam, you can't give everyone a chance in one competition. As long as you give some of them the chance they deserve, it's okay." Quinn said, trying to be reassuring.

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right." Sam said, with a smile, looking visibly relaxed.

Quinn and Sam began brainstorming song ideas. This year's theme for Sectionals was Rock Anthems and they were trying to match appropriate songs with the glee kids, they wanted to give a chance to. They were so engrossed in their discussion that they didn't even notice someone standing by the door.

"Rachel?" Sam asked, finally looking up.

"Hey!" Rachel said, excitedly as she walked toward Sam.

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked, hugging Rachel.

"I had some days off from my work and saw that you and Quinn were working with the glee club, so decided to come home for a bit." Rachel said, hugging Sam back.

Rachel and Sam had broken up a couple of years ago. They had tried to make things work while she was in New York and he was in Lima but after a while, the distance took its toll on their relationship. The breakup was quite mutual and they had stayed in touch since but there always seemed to be a lack of closure, between the two of them. Quinn knew all of this, which was why she couldn't help but feel sad. Rachel had picked the worst time to come back home. Sam and Quinn were finally close, close enough to be more than just friends but having Rachel around was going jeopardise all of that.

"Hey Quinn!" Rachel said, snapping Quinn out of her thoughts.

"Hey Rach, how are you?" Quinn asked, trying her best not to let her thoughts show on her face.

"I'm good. How've you been? I heard you're back for good." Rachel said, sitting down.

"Yeah, I just needed to be home." Quinn said, looking at Sam from the corner of her eye.

"Well, I'm so glad you're here, Rachel. We were just deciding songs for Sectionals!" Sam said, visibly happy to see his ex- girlfriend.

"I'm here to help! Should get started?" Rachel said, with a smile.

The rest of the evening flew by. Sam Rachel and Quinn were finally able to decide to the set list and the performers. Afterwards, all of them went to dinner with Mr. Shue. Rachel had missed home. New York was great but there was no place like Lima. As out of place as she had felt for most of her life, she always felt like she belonged when she was with her friends, with Sam.

The next day, while Sam was teaching his English class, Rachel and Quinn decided to get some coffee.

"So how long are you back for?" Quinn asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

"A week, I think. But I don't know, I might stay longer." Rachel said.

"You can do that?" Quinn asked.

"No, I don't know. I can try though." Rachel said, shrugging her shoulders.

"You really missed home, huh?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah, yeah I really did." Rachel said, with a smile.

"And Sam?" Quinn asked, raising her eyebrow. She was dreading Rachel's answer but she had to know.

"What about him?" Rachel asked, nervously.

"Does he have anything to do with you, coming home?" Quinn asked.

"Maybe." Rachel said, after a moment. "I don't know, I just.. I couldn't stop thinking about him, all the time I was in New York. I know we broke up because of the distance but what if that was a mistake?" She continued.

Hearing Rachel say she might want Sam back, was like a dagger through Quinn's heart. How was she supposed to compete with Rachel? She hadn't hurt Sam, the way Quinn had. Plus they didn't break up because they stopped loving each other, they broke up because of the distance. If Rachel stayed, the distance wouldn't stand between them anymore. Before she knew it, Quinn had already begun to feel defeated. She spent the rest of the afternoon, trying to hide how hurt she was. She sat there, listening to Rachel's stories and nodding along. She didn't say a word, afraid that she would break down if she did.

Once they were done with coffee, Quinn and Rachel headed back to the school for glee practice. They walked into the choir room but Sam wasn't there. They sat down, thinking he might not be done with class yet. After a few moments, they saw Sam emerge with a big smile on his face.

Seeing Sam walking towards her, the way he had that first day, Quinn knew she had to fight for him. How could she not? Even when she had cheated on him, Sam didn't stopped fighting for her. And now that she knew he was the love of her life, she was left with no other option. She was going to fight for him. She had told herself that she would wait for as long as she need to and she was going to. She would do anything to have her forever with Sam, even if it meant she had to spend her life trying to get him love her, the way she loved him.


	7. Chapter 7

The next few days were all about getting ready for Sectionals. Sam, Quinn and Rachel spent every waking minute together, either making the kids practice or planning out logistics. Sam was thankful for his friends, he couldn't have managed all of this without them. There was an overwhelming feeling of comfort, something Sam had missed in the past couple of years.

When Sam had told the glee club that Rachel was going to be joining them, everyone was ecstatic. Rachel had go onto become a very big Broadway star and everyone loved the idea of being coached by the likes of her. The influence she had, had somehow made Josh, Alex and Kate get along, much to Sam's surprise. Practices had been going great and Sam could see themselves moving closer and closer to wining the competition.

The week had been rigorous and Sam was glad the weekend was upon them. He was packing his things up, when Quinn walked up to him. She had stepped out of the choir room to take a call.

"Hey." Quinn said, looking a little worried.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. That was my old firm, they want to meet me." Quinn said.

"What about?" Sam asked.

"I'm not sure, they just said they wanted to talk to me and that they had booked a ticket to New York for me." Quinn said.

"When do you leave?" Sam asked.

"Tomorrow." Quinn said.

"When are you back?" Sam asked.

"I'm not gone for too long. I'm back Sunday night." Quinn said.

"Do you have to go?" Sam asked, hoping Quinn would say no.

"I think so. I still have to finish some final salary stuff with them, so it's best I go." Quinn said. She was kind of happy looking at how sad Sam seemed at the thought of her going away.

"Well, have a good trip. Call me if you need anything." Sam said, giving Quinn a hug.

The next day, Sam woke up late, not needing to be up for anything. Things with the glee club were good and he figured it was good for everyone to have a day off. Just as he was getting ready to start his day, his phone buzzed.

"Hey, do you want to have dinner with me tonight?" The text from Rachel read.

"Sure." Sam replied.

Sam was kind of excited about going to dinner with Rachel. They hadn't caught up in a while and she always had all of these great stories to tell. Stories that Sam had grown to love through their time together. Stories that he didn't even know he missed, till he saw her again.

The rest of the day passed in a flash and before they knew it, Sam and Rachel were at dinner.

"So, how's New York?" Sam asked, with a smile.

"It's my dream come true." Rachel said, with her usual big smile.

"I'm glad you're happy, Rach." Sam said.

"How are you doing? I feel like every time I speak to you, I'm the one telling you stories and you tell me nothing." Rachel said with a little pout.

"Haha, I like your stories." Sam said.

He was always so sweet. Rachel couldn't help smile. "Come on, Sam." She said.

"Things are good. Work is good, the kids are finally getting along. My parents are settled in Kentucky and I'm so close to buying them that house." Sam said.

"All that's great Sam, but how are you doing?" Rachel asked.

"I'm alright." Sam said.

Rachel looked at him, as if she knew there was more to it than Sam was letting on.

Sam took a deep breath and began. "My life is great, I'm doing what I love and it finally feels like I can make a difference. And on most days, that feeling is more than enough. But there are days that I just keep feeling like something is missing. And I don't know what that is or who that is but it just never goes away."

Rachel just looked at Sam for a few moments. It was crazy how he had put into words, something had been feeling all this time. She loved how he had opened up to her, how he was always so honest.

Seeing how Rachel was looking at him, Sam got a little self-conscious. "I probably sound crazy." He said.

"No, not at all. It's so funny, I feel exactly the same way. As if, even though, everything I had wished for has come true, it never feels like it's enough. And not in a I want more kind of way, but just in a things feel incomplete kind of a way. But can I tell you a secret?" Rachel asked.

"Of course, you can tell me anything." Sam said.

"I haven't felt like that since I've been back here." Rachel said, trying to stop her heart from racing as Sam looked at her with his signature grin.

"I haven't either. I'm so glad, you and Quinn are here. Maybe what I miss is having you guys around, people who understand me. My family." Sam said, with a smile.

Rachel was a little hurt at the thought that Sam might not like her in that way anymore. That she wasn't the sole reason, why he felt complete. She brushed the thought aside, she wasn't going to let anything ruin her night with Sam.

"I've missed you, Sam. I didn't know how much till I came back. And it makes me not want to go back." Rachel said, after a few moments.

"Then don't." Sam said.

Rachel smiled, that's all she wanted to hear, that Sam wanted her to stay. She wasn't really sure what she wanted with him yet, but as long as he wanted her here, they could figure it out.

"My agent said, he might have a job that would keep me in Lima, a little bit longer." Rachel said.

"That's great!" Sam said, the excitement evident in his voice.

"Yeah, I have a meeting with him about it tomorrow. Who knows, I might be sticking around for a little while longer." Rachel said, with a grin.

Sam and Rachel spent the rest of the night discussing everything – high school, their time apart and all the things they would do if Rachel got to stay a little bit longer. There was nothing quite like talking to someone again, in a way you hadn't in ages. Even though everything had changed, it felt like nothing had.

Rachel and Sam spent the rest of the weekend catching up on some rest and working on Sectionals with the club. And come Monday, it was as if everyone was filled with a new energy, determined to win. Most of the day had gone into classes and glee rehearsal. Quinn hadn't texted Sam since she'd been back, which was something that irked him. He was walking by the astronomy room, when he saw a glimpse of a blonde sitting on a table.

"Quinn?" He asked, walking into the room.

"Hey." Quinn said, getting off the table to hug Sam. It had only been a day but God had she missed him.

"Why didn't you text me? How was New York?" Sam asked, sitting down next to Quinn.

"It was good, I think." Quinn said, asking more than telling Sam.

"What did they want to talk to you about?" Sam asked.

"They want me back." Quinn said.

Sam's face fell. "Do you want to go back?"

"No. I don't know." Quinn said, she didn't know why she was confused but going back to New York had cast some kind of weird spell on her.

Sam sighed, he couldn't believe the fact that Quinn might already be going back. "I was just telling Rachel the other day, how complete I feel with you guys around. I guess I jinxed it, huh?"

Quinn wanted to cry looking at Sam so hurt. She didn't even know why she was considering New York. Sam was here and he was the only thing that mattered.

"Do you remember when I kind of lost it, in my senior year of High School? The pink hair and wanting to get Beth back?" Quinn asked.

Sam was a little confused by the change in topic but nodded.

"I never told anyone why it happened but it was because you left." Quinn said, looking up at the planets above her head, not wanting to look Sam.

"What?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, after Nationals, I was going to tell you that I loved you and I wanted you back. Before I could, I found out about you and Mercedes, so I kept my distance. But before I knew it, you were gone and I just felt so lost. Like my purpose in life was gone. So, when you came back, the first thing I did was tell you, I wanted you back. I was out of it that I never told you that I wanted you back for you, and not for raising Beth. The reason why, I seemed so okay when we went to the shelter that year, was because you were back. And everything felt right again." Quinn said, finally looking at Sam.

Sam didn't say anything for a few moments, he just sat there, searching Quinn's eyes for more.

"Why didn't you ever tell me this?" Sam asked.

"Because, I didn't want to be a burden on you. Especially after the way, I had hurt you. And I know that the second I leave, I'm going to get that feeling all over again. I don't even know, why I'm even confused about New York." Quinn said.

Sam held Quinn's hand in his. "I will always be there for, no matter where you are. You will never ever be a burden to me, Quinn. It's okay to be confused, it was your dream to be a lawyer in New York and who says you have to give it up? If it's really what you want, this time can be different. You won't be doing it alone, I'll always just be a phone call away." Sam said, with a reassuring smile.

Quinn hugged Sam. No words would ever be enough to tell him how much she loved him, how much she always would. She hated even thinking about New York but he was right, it was her dream. But maybe now, it was time for a different dream. She hadn't known it till that moment, but the boy in her arms was her dream. And she wasn't someone who was going to give up on her dreams.


	8. Chapter 8

Sam had been working non-stop and it was starting to get to him. He was feeling a little dizzy during practice that day, but he decided to power through it and complete rehearsal. It was just Quinn and him, Rachel was stuck in meetings all day.

"I think that's it for today guys. Good job!" Sam said.

"Hey, are you okay?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah, why?" Sam asked.

"You look a little pale." Quinn said, sounding worried.

"No, it's nothing." Sam said.

"Are you sure?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah, yeah." Sam said, with a smile.

"Okay, do you want to have dinner tonight? I'll cook." Quinn said. She'd been really nervous about asking Sam. She had finally decided to tell him how she felt. Sectionals were way too far away and she couldn't wait any longer.

"You don't have to go through the trouble. We can just have take-out, or something." Sam said.

"No, I want to." Quinn said. She didn't want anything in the plan to change. She had it all figured out in her head and she was worried that changing her plans would make everything go wrong.

"I'll be there." Sam said with a smile.

"8 o' clock?" Quinn asked.

"Sure. See you." Sam said, grabbing his stuff.

Quinn had butterflies running in her stomach, all day. She kept rehearsing all that she had wanted to tell him. But every time she ran it through her mind, the words never seemed enough. She wished there was something she could do, to show him how much she had changed and how at the end of all the struggle and pain, he was always the one she wanted.

It was 7 o' clock and Quinn was still in the kitchen. Even though she had decided to make a simple pasta, she just couldn't get it right. She kept trying to do different things, to make it special but nothing seemed to work. She knew it wasn't the food that was worrying her, it was what Sam was going to say. But she decided to focus on the food, that was something she could control. While she was still flipping through the cookbook, her phone began to ring.

"Hello?" Quinn said, answering the phone.

"Hey Quinn." Sam said, sounding very sick.

"Are you okay?" Quinn asked, almost panicking.

"I'm so so sorry. I'm really sick and I can barely get out of bed. I know you cooked and everything, I feel so bad." Sam said.

"It's okay, Sam. Just take care of yourself, that's all that matters." Quinn said.

"Thanks Quinn, I promise I'll make up to you." Sam said.

"I'm going to hold you to that." Quinn said, hanging up the phone.

She sat down on the couch, a lump forming in her throat as she began to feel completely defeated. What if this is a sign? Maybe the universe was trying to tell her that she'd missed her chance. Every time she gets close to telling him how she feels, life gets in the way. Not this time, Quinn decided. She got up, wiped away her tears. She went to the kitchen and switched off the stove. She just stood there for a second, calming herself. And within seconds, she grabbed her bag and was out the door.

Quinn stood in front of a brown door with the number 24 written in on it, in gold. She wanted to be ready, to be able to say all that she wanted but she was scared. She decided to brush her fears aside, telling herself that the boy she loved was behind that door. She finally knocked on the door, looking into the bag in hands to make sure everything she needed was in there.

"Quinn?" Sam asked, opening the door. He looked miserable, his eyes were bloodshot and drooping. He had wrapped a blanket around himself lazily.

"Hey, I know you're sick, so I got soup." Quinn said, raising the bag in her hand.

"That's really sweet, come on in." Sam said, leading her to his living room.

The table was covered in used tissues and medicines.

"How are you feeling?" Quinn asked, sitting down next to Sam on her couch.

"I feel horrible." Sam said.

"It looks like you have fever." Quinn said, touching Sam's forehead.

Quinn grabbed the bag and got up.

"Where are you going?" Sam asked.

"I'm going to warm the soup, lie down." Quinn said, grabbing a blanket off the couch and covering Sam with it.

"Quinn you don't.." Sam began but Quinn was already gone.

After a few minutes, Quinn came back with a bowl full of soup.

"Okay, open up." Quinn said, bringing a spoon full of the soup near Sam's mouth.

"Umm, that's great. It's chicken noodle." Sam said.

"Your favourite." Quinn said with a smile, completing his sentence.

"How did you know?" Sam asked.

"You told me once, when we were in high school." Quinn said, as she fed him another spoonful.

"Thanks for being here Quinn, I already feel better. And I'm sorry about tonight." Sam said, smiling.

"Stop apologising. It's not your fault. Plus, it's the least I could do." Quinn said.

Sam looked at Quinn, a little confused.

"You've taken so much care of me, since the day we met. It almost feels good to be able to take care of you for a change. To feel needed by you." Quinn said.

Sam was about to say something but Quinn fed him some more soup. She knew that he was going to say something absolutely charming which was going to completely throw her off. The words were finally coming to her and she wasn't going to stop now.

Quinn put the bowl aside and began,"I've always needed you, Sam. I knew it that day in the Astronomy room, when you tried to kiss me. I've tried to run from the feeling, whether it was with Finn or Puck. I was always so scared of needing you and letting you in. Maybe it was because I thought you would leave. But you never did, you were always there. Even now, after all these years, you're still the only one who knows exactly what to say to me. I have spent my entire life, being scared of getting hurt. And I'm tired of letting it get in the way of the rest of my life. I love you, Sam. I always have. You make me so happy, in ways that you can't even imagine. I'm complete only when I'm with you and I don't want to spend another second, feeling incomplete."

Sam looked at Quinn, clearly surprised by her admission.

"You don't have to say anything, right now. I'll wait, you can take your time. I'm here." Quinn said, putting a hand on the side of Sam's face.

She loved him, with all of her heart. And he finally knew it. Quinn wanted so badly for him to say something, But she knew even if he didn't, even his silence would be enough for her.


	9. Chapter 9

Sam kept opening and closing his mouth, trying to find some words say. Anything would be better than this silence. It wasn't that he hadn't thought about Quinn like that. He just never thought she'd feel the same way, so he never let himself go there. We're friends, he'd tell himself. But what if they weren't anymore?

Quinn and Sam were still staring at each other, somehow communicating without any words. They sat there, searching each other's eyes for answers neither of them had. They were so lost that it took them a second to realise someone was knocking on the door.

Quinn got up to answer the door, stopping Sam, who was trying to stand up.

"Hey!" Rachel said, quickly getting confused when she saw Quinn's face.

"Hey Rachel." Quinn said, in a low voice. She stepped aside to let Rachel in.

"I hope I'm not interrupting." Rachel said, walking in.

"No, you're not." Quinn said, the lump evident in her voice.

Rachel saw the bowl of soup on the table and Sam on his couch looking miserable.

"Are you sick?" Rachel asked, feeling kind of stupid asking .

"Yeah, Quinn was nice enough to take care of me." Sam said, looking at Quinn.

"I was just leaving." Quinn said, grabbing her stuff.

"Quinn.." Sam said, getting up but she was gone before he could even get to the door.

Sam slumped back on the couch, hating how he had handled everything.

"What's wrong?" Rachel said.

"I don't.." Sam began but stopped.

"You can tell me anything, Sam." Rachel said.

"I am just so confused, about everything. I always thought I had everything figured out and I just don't." Sam said.

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked.

"I feel like, I'm in high school all over again. I used think, when you're an adult, relationships are easier. You know what you want, who you want." Sam said.

"Are you and Quinn…?" Rachel asked.

"No. I don't know. That's just the thing, I have no idea what I want. And it isn't about her, it's about me. I've just kind of stopped letting myself be vulnerable. And I'm afraid that, I've closed myself off to the whole, happy ending thing. Do you think there's a way you can know exactly what you want? Because I feel like, I'm only going to know, when I've lost my chance." Sam said.

"Sam, you don't have to have all of it figured out." Rachel said, putting a blanket on Sam. "I think there's just a moment, when you know. Maybe when something important happens, something that matters and you just know who was want to share it with. That's what I tell myself anyway." She continued.

Rachel wanted to be reassuring. It hurt to think that Sam might have feelings for Quinn but this was Sam, he was the reason why she came back. The reason she would stay. It wasn't over for them yet.

"Thanks, Rachel." Sam said, putting a hand on Rachel's lap.

Rachel picked up the bowl from the coffee table and began feeding Sam.

"So, what's the news?" Sam asked, in between bites.

"How did you know there was news?" Rachel asked, kind of impressed with how Sam knew everything.

"Your eyes are twinkling. They only twinkle like that when you're excited about something." Sam said.

"It's really sweet that you know that." Rachel said. This was the kind of stuff that had made her fall for him in the first place. He always cared, always noticed

"Hey, I pay attention! Now, what is it?" Sam asked.

"I got the job. I get to stay in Lima." Rachel said, putting the bowl down.

"That's great!" Sam said, hugging Rachel.

"Yeah, I'm so glad. My agent said he'd find a way for me to take some time off my musical and work here and then maybe travel back and forth." Rachel said.

"I'm so glad, you're staying. And more than that, I'm so proud of you. I've always known you'd make it, Rach. Even before I'd ever spoken to you." Sam said.

"How?" Rachel asked.

"You remember when you guys performed Empire State of Mind to recruit members?" Sam asked.

"Yeah." Rachel said.

"You were the first person I saw. I could see the passion in your eyes, the twinkle. I knew I wanted to feel like that about something. That was when I knew I wanted to be a part of glee club. Being a part of something special, makes you special, right? I still see you performing sometimes and the happiness on your face reminds me of why I'm still doing this." Sam said.

Rachel felt a lump forming in her throat. She had spent so much of her life alone, trying to find friends and people who would love her and believe in her. And even though the glee club had given her so many such people, Sam had always given her more. He made her feel like she was the best, most talented person in the world. He made her feel like a star, right down to the twinkle. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, that he was the reason why Lima felt more than enough for her. But she didn't, she knew he had stuff going on with Quinn. And she loved him enough to not make things worse. So she picked up the bowl and started feeding him. This was her way of saying all that she wanted to. She knew they were only just beginning.

The next day, Sam tried looking for Quinn everywhere. She hadn't shown up to rehearsal and he felt horrible. So he decided to go look in the one place, he knew he would find her.

"Hey you." Sam said, walking into the astronomy room.

"Hey." Quinn said, with a small smile.

"I am so sorry about last night." Sam said, sitting down next to Quinn.

"You don't have to be." Quinn said.

"I do. Look, I want to give you an answer but the thing is, I don't know what that answer is. And I just need some time, to figure this out. I understand, if you want time away from all of this but you should know that the glee club needs you. I need you." Sam said.

Quinn placed her hand on the side of Sam's face. Her heart always began to flutter when she looked into his eyes.

"You can take all the time, you need Sam. I meant it, when I said I would wait for you. Between the two of us, I have always been the one who didn't know what she wanted. And you always understood. You never left. So that's what I'm going to do. We have the rest of our lives, ahead of us. You have the rest of my life, Sam." Quinn said, tears forming in her eyes.

Quinn meant every word she said. She didn't care if Sam finally decided to love her back when they were 80. He was her forever.


	10. Chapter 10

Sam had been wracking his brain, his heart. He wanted to know what he wanted. He just couldn't decide. Every time he tried to imagine his future with Quinn, he was happy but the pain of the past always came back. He couldn't help but wonder what could have been for them, had they not broken up. To add to everything, Sectionals were in three weeks and the glee club had non-stop rehearsals. Sam was exhausted but he couldn't stop.

Quinn noticed how tired Sam had been. As hard as it was to be around him, it was a lot easier than being away from him. She was trying to make sure things didn't feel awkward because she didn't want to lose him as a friend. Rachel was always around so Sam and Quinn were never really alone together. But Rachel had flown out to New York to work out her new deal and Sam and Quinn were alone. And she was determined to make sure that they could still hang out together. Quinn tried to think of somewhere they could go, somewhere fun. And then it hit her.

"Hey." Quinn said, walking up to Sam at the end of rehearsal.

"Hey." Sam said, looking up from his sheet music.

"What are you doing tonight?" Quinn asked.

"Nothing, why?" Sam asked.

"You and I are going to Colour Me Mine." Quinn said.

"We are?" Sam asked, with his signature grin.

"Yup. You're clearly super stressed and it's time for you to get out of your own head." Quinn said.

"Quinn, are you sure?" Sam asked. He felt weird hanging out with Quinn without giving her an answer. He knew it was unfair but he didn't want to lie to her.

"Yes. I am 100% sure. Now go, get ready. I'll come pick you up an in hour." Quinn said.

Sam hesitated for a second but decided to agree. It would be fun to finally go to Colour Me Mine with Quinn, even if it was ten years later.

Quinn was really excited. She loved spending time with Sam and she knew Colour Me Mine was just what he needed. All she really cared about was being there for him and if this made him smile, then it was worth everything.

Within the hour, Quinn was at Sam's place. She was dressed in a grey hoodie and jeans, very different from how she usually dressed. Sam looked her up and down, when he opened the door. He couldn't help but smile.

"I know, I look homeless. But I didn't know what else to wear." Quinn said, blushing a little.

"No, it's not.. You look cute." Sam said. He really meant it. He was so used to seeing Quinn all dressed up and she always looked great. But it was nice to see her not try for a change. She somehow managed to look breath taking anyway.

"Thanks." Quinn said with a shy smile. She knew Sam probably didn't mean much by it but a compliment from him, meant the world to her. The way he looked at her reminded of her of Sectionals; how he'd told her she looked beautiful right before they went on. How her heart had fluttered, how she knew then that she falling in love and fast.

The night was filled with Sam and Quinn trying to make pots and failing. Each attempt appeared to be worse than the last, which made both of them fall laugh. By the end of the night, both of them were covered in paint.

Quinn picked up a cloth and began to remove the paint next to Sam's lips. You could cut the sexual tension between them with a knife. All Quinn wanted was to lean in and kiss those lips of his, but she stopped herself. She didn't want to push him to make a decision, he had to do it all on his own.

"Thanks." Sam said, almost in a whisper.

Both of them were quiet for a while. After Colour Me Mine, they decided to go and sit in a nearby park and look at the stars. The night was beautiful and so very romantic. While Sam was busy looking at the stars, Quinn couldn't stop looking at him. He was so filled with wonder as he looked at the sky. He was perfect, in every way and Quinn was happy just to be there looking at hims.

"What?" Sam asked, smiling after he noticed Quinn staring at him.

"Nothing." Quinn said.

"Tell me." Sam said.

"You looked at the stars with such wonder. It's cute." Quinn said, with a smile.

"Looking at them makes my problems seem small." Sam said, with a smile.

Quinn thought about them in the astronomy room, that very first time. If she could go back now, she would kiss Sam and tell him how she wanted to sing with him. How she needed him, how much she would always need him.

"So this is what it would've been like, had we never broken up." Sam thought, not releasing he was saying it out loud.

Quinn was a little surprised by what Sam had just said. But she was happy, happy that he was thinking about them.

"Nah." Quinn said.

"What would it have been like?" Sam asked, turning towards Quinn.

"We would've been married by now. Probably had two kids." Quinn said, with a teasing smile.

"Is that right?" Sam asked.

"Uh-Hun." Quinn said.

"And how exactly do we end up married? Do we date through high school and college or did you propose to me while we were still in high school?" Sam asked, trying to see Quinn's reaction.

"So, we date through high school. I go to Yale and you go to a college near me. After college, I of course really want to get married. But I never tell you and I give you a hard time about it. You being you, just put up with it and love me anyway. Then one day, we come back to Lima and you propose to me in the Astronomy Room at the exact place where you gave me the promise ring. And you say something about how you kept your promise about marrying me someday." Quinn said, tears forming in her eyes.

"You've given this a lot of thought, huh?" Sam asked, getting serious.

"To be honest, it's all I've thought about for a while now. I just keep wishing I could back in time and make sure we never broke up. Because I know, in my heart that with you, I'd have the world of happiness. And I knew that even then. Even when I was torn between you and Finn, I never wanted to break up with you. I chose you. Because even when I was my most selfish, I knew in my heart that you were it. And so much has happened and none of that has changed." Quinn said, tears streaming down her face. She looked down at her hands, not wanted to look at Sam.

Sam had a lump in his throat. He knew Quinn loved him and he wanted more than anything to be able to say it back but he just couldn't.

"Hey.." Sam began, putting a hand on the side of Quinn's face. "You know that I love you, right? And I am so sorry that I haven't.. that I can't give you an answer yet but you are one the most important people in my life. And that is never going to change. And I am so grateful that we ended up here, because here is good. And it's only going to get better." He continued.

"I love you too, Sam." Quinn said, hugging Sam.

Sam and Quinn sat on that park bench for hours. Just holding each other. Things were complicated but for those few hours, it didn't matter. They were together, in each other arms and neither of them had ever felt safer.


	11. Chapter 11

Things had been stressful at the Glee club. Sam and Quinn had been making the kids rehearse, almost non – stop and it was starting to get to them. Since Rachel was still in New York, finishing her final shows, they had even more pressure on them. That day, they were trying to figure out some choreography, after rehearsal.

Sam looked over at Quinn with a very serious look on his face.

"You know what we should do?" He asked.

"What?" Quinn asked.

"We should go to New York." Sam said.

"What?" Quinn asked with a confused expression.

"We've been at this for hours. This is the last weekend before which all we do is have glee rehearsal. So we should go to New York, see Rachel's show, relax and come back." Sam said.

"What is with you and the spontaneity?" Quinn asked, surprised by the turn of events.

"You have inspired me. Besides, the kids are ready. But we need to sane to lead them to victory." Sam said.

Quinn could see Sam's point and so she picked up her phone and started searching.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked.

"Trying to find last minute flight tickets." Quinn said, looking up from her phone.

Sam smiled at Quinn, happy to see that she was on-board. The next couple hours were blur, both of them rushed home to pack and then practically ran to the airport. After a lot of requesting and queue jumping, they finally made their flight.

"Thank you for doing this with me." Sam said.

"No thanks needed. I would do anything with you, Sam." Quinn said, nudging him playfully with her elbow.

Sam smiled at Quinn, She had grown so much as a person, in the past few years. Sam had always admired Quinn but he did more so now. Maybe because he could see how hard it was on her to get her life on track but she'd done it. And made it look effortless.

Sam and Quinn had decided to surprise Rachel, so they couldn't tell her they were in the city. So instead, they decided to go to all the place they'd gone, when they had first come to New York for Nationals.

After walking around the city for a while, Sam and Quinn decided to relax in Central Park. They found some empty benches and decided to stay there and soak up the sun for a while.

"When we came here, all those years ago, I never thought things could end up like this." Sam said.

"What do you mean?" Quinn asked.

"I never thought that I would move to New York to be a model and then back to Lima to be a teacher. And then came back here, for Rachel's show, with you." Sam said.

"Yeah, I guess a lot has changed, huh?" Quinn said, thinking about how different everything was. How much she used to hate Rachel and how now, they were actually friends. But the one thing that hadn't changed, was her wanting Sam back. When they were here for Nationals, all she wanted to do was tell Sam, how she wanted to make things right. And even though they weren't together now, Quinn knew they finally had a shot.

"Hey, you lived so close to New York, why did you never visit us?" Sam asked, using his hand to shade his eyes from the sun.

"I just wanted to keep up with work at Yale. It was my second chance and I didn't want to blow it. Plus later, I spent all my free time, just visiting Puck." Quinn said.

Sam clenched his jaw a little. He never expected Quinn to not date other people, but he didn't like thinking about it.

"What?" Quinn asked.

"What?" Sam asked, trying to pretend as if he didn't know what she was talking about.

"You looked pissed off." Quinn said.

"I'm not." Sam said.

"Sam.." Quinn said.

"Fine. I forgot about you and Puck." Sam said.

"Are you jealous?" Quinn asked, laughing a little.

"No. Why would I be?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, why would you be?" Quinn asked, raising her eyebrow. She loved watching Sam get jealous. There was nothing between Puck and her anymore but she loved how mad Sam got at the thought of them being together.

Sam shot Quinn a look, as if to fake irritation.

"Fine. Let's go, we should get ready for the show, or else we'll be late." Quinn said with a smile, grabbing Sam by the arm.

Sam and Quinn headed to their hotel. They were running late so they had to get ready quite quickly. After he was done, Sam went to get Quinn from her room across the hall.

Quinn opened the door and saw Sam standing in a black suit. He looked so handsome, it almost made her giddy.

Sam was on the other hand, just stood there staring at Quinn. She was dressed in a knee length red dress. She looked breath taking, as always. Sam tried really hard to stop looking at her but he couldn't. Since they were friends now, he would always try to not focus on how ridiculously hot, Quinn always looked. But today, he couldn't t help it.

"You look…" Sam said.

"Good, I hope." Quinn said, getting a little nervous.

"You look breath taking." Sam finally said.

Quinn blushed. She had noticed how Sam couldn't take his eyes off her and it was biggest compliment, she could ask for.

"You don't look so bad yourself." Quinn said, with a smile.

Sam offered Quinn his arm and she took it. And then they were off, both trying to pretend that they weren't completely infatuated by each other.

They managed to reach the show in time and Rachel was absolutely amazing, as always. They had decided to go up to her after the show, thinking that they shouldn't disturb her before. During one her most moving performances, Sam managed to catch her eye. They both smiled at each other, almost saying what had to be said with their eyes.

"You guys! Thank you so much for coming!" Rachel said, after the show. After the show, Quinn and Sam had shown up to her dressing room with flowers.

"We couldn't miss it. You were fantastic." Sam said, hugging Rachel.

Quinn tried to push all her thought about Sam and Rachel away. They clearly had a connection, which was why Sam wanted to come all the way to New York to surprise her. And as much as it hurt her, Quinn knew she couldn't do anything about it. She had to believe in the love she had for Sam and the love she hoped he had for her.

"You were amazing." Quinn finally said, hugging Rachel.

"Thanks Quinn, it means the world that you came." Rachel said, hugging Quinn back.

After some small talk, the three of them decided to go out and celebrate. They grabbed dinner at a nice restaurant and spent the night talking about Glee club, about how much things had changed since their first Nationals. And how thankful they were that certain things never had.

The next day, Sam and Quinn had an afternoon flight and Rachel had come to drop them at the airport. She had to stay back for a couple of days, to complete her remaining shows before she could come to Lima.

"See you in a couple of days." Quinn said, hugging Rachel.

"See you." Rachel said, hugging her back.

Sam was about to say bye to Rachel but stopped when she began to speak.

"Quinn, do you mind if I speak to Sam for a second?" Rachel asked.

"Sure. I'll meet you at Check in." Quinn said, turning to Sam. She felt a pit form in her stomach, but went inside the gate anyway.

"What's up?" Sam asked.

"I know that we're going to see each other in a couple of days but I can't hold this in any longer." Rachel said.

Sam nodded at Rachel, asking her to continue.

"Last night, when I was singing, I looked out into the audience, searching for something. I didn't even know what. And then I saw you and I knew that I had found what I was looking for. You have always been what I was searching for, Sam. You're the only would come all the way to New York to surprise me, just because. And I know that you're confused because of things with you and Quinn. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to burden you. But I need you to know how much I love you. And how much I want to spend my life with you." Rachel said.

Before Sam could say anything, they heard an announcement of his name. He looked at her, not knowing what to do.

"Go. We can talk once I'm back." Rachel said, with a sad smile.

Sam turned to leave but stopped and came back to hug Rachel. Even though he was getting late, neither of them wanted to let go. There was so much to say but they knew that no words would be enough. So they decided to hold each other, hoping to communicate, all the things they couldn't say.


	12. Chapter 12

Sectionals were now in a week and the glee club had practice every waking second. Sam was very tensed, all the time. He really wanted them to win, he knew how hard everyone had been working. Plus he hadn't been getting any sleep since Rachel had told him, how she felt. She was back now and they had tried to pretend nothing had happened but things were awkward. Sam hated himself for not knowing what to do. He really needed someone to talk to and it felt like the universe had been listening, when Blaine and Kurt came back to Lima.

"Hey." Blaine said, walking into the choir room.

"Hey!" Sam said, hugging his best friend.

"What are you doing here?" Rachel asked, hugging Blaine.

"Kurt and I saw pictures of you guys together and decided to join the reunion." Blaine said.

"Did you miss me?" Kurt asked, walking into the room.

Quinn and Rachel ran to hug him. All of them hadn't all been together in years and it was as if, one by one everyone was finding their way back home.

"Rachel and I were planning on going shopping, do you want to come?" Quinn said, after they were done exchanging pleasantries.

"Yes!" Kurt said.

Before Blaine could say anything, Sam looked at him as if to say they needed to talk.

"I'll pass. But we should all get dinner tonight." Blaine said.

"Sounds good." Rachel said and with that Quinn, Kurt and she were off.

"Is everything okay?" Blaine asked, sitting down.

"Yeah. No. I don't know." Sam said.

"What's going on?" Blaine asked.

"Rachel and Quinn told me they love me." Sam said.

"Both of them?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah." Sam said.

"That's great!" Blaine said.

"No it's not." Sam said.

"Why not? They're great girls." Blaine said.

"I know, that's the problem. I don't know who I want." Sam said.

"Wow. What did you say when they told you?" Blaine asked.

"That I needed time to think." Sam said.

"How long ago was that?" Blaine asked.

"It's been weeks. And they've been so patient and helpful and I feel awful." Sam said.

"Well, what's stopping you from picking?" Blaine asked.

"They're both so special to me. And with my history of bad relationships, I feel like all my doubts have gotten the better of me." Sam said.

"Okay, so let's just talk through this. What do you have doubts about?" Blaine asked.

"What if it doesn't work out? Where will that leave us? I know I have to pick but I don't want to lose either of them." Sam said.

"Everyone has those doubts and that's okay. You just have to find a way to get past them." Blaine said.

"Sometimes, I can. And then I start thinking about what my relationships were like with each of them and it sends my head spinning all over again." Sam said.

"Okay, let's start with Quinn." Blaine said.

"I just never feel like, I'll be good enough for her. What if I'm not enough? The way I wasn't the last time around? She was my first love and losing her almost killed me. I don't think I can do it again." Sam said.

"Sam, you're the one she wants. You are and always have been enough. High school was a long time ago and none of us are who we used to be. She clearly loves you, that's why she's still around. That has to mean something." Blaine said.

"I guess you're right." Sam said, trying to process what Blaine had just said.

"What about Rachel?" Blaine asked.

"She's so talented, I mean she's exceptional. I want each and every one of her dreams to come true. But we want such different things and I don't want to be the one who stands in the way of all that she can achieve. She's taken this job in Lima to be closer to me but what if one day she wakes up and resents me? Resents us?" Sam asked, feeling overwhelmed just at the thought.

"Sam, don't you think this should be her decision? If she wants to pick you, over her career then that she's her choice. I'm sure she would've thought about it. And I know there will be ways in which she can manage her career and your relationship. Kurt and I are very different but we make it work. And so will you, if that's what you want." Blaine said.

"I somehow feel both relieved and confused at the same time." Sam said.

"Sam, there's going to a billion reasons not to be with someone but all you need is one to be with them. Don't run away from your happiness. You know in your heart who you want and it's okay if you aren't ready to face that. You'll know, when you know." Blaine said.

"Thanks man, I've missed you." Sam said, putting a hand on Blaine's shoulder.

"I've missed you too. Hearing all of this makes me feel like we're in high school again." Blaine said.

Sam shot him a look.

"I get that you're confused but you have to agree this is right out of a teen movie." Blaine said.

"I guess you're right." Sam said, shrugging his shoulders.

"You're going to be fine, Sam. " Blaine said.

Sam smiled at Blaine, happy to have his best friend back. He wasn't sure what he was going to do but now he knew that he was ready to be happy with someone. Rachel and Quinn were both great girls but he needed to decide who was the girl for him.

Later that night, all of them headed to dinner at Breadsticks.

"So, tell me what's new." Kurt said.

Rachel, Quinn and Sam looked at each other awkwardly.

"Nothing, just Sectionals and stuff." Rachel said.

"Oh come on, with all of three of you here, I'm sure something would've happened." Kurt said.

"Not really." Sam said, really hoping Kurt would stop asking.

"Aah fine. At least tell me if one of you is seeing someone. Since I've gotten married, I really like hearing single people stories." Kurt said.

Blaine almost choked on his food because of how much he wanted to laugh at the situation.

Sam, Rachel and Quinn looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Quinn knew Rachel had told Sam she loved him but she had never brought it up.

Blaine on the other hand could not stop laughing and hearing him, all of them lost it. The five of them were hysterically laughing, and they didn't even know why. The people around them, were looking at them as if they were crazy. But they didn't care. They were all together and that's all that mattered.


	13. Chapter 13

Sectionals were finally here and the tension was palpable. The New Directions were ready but they couldn't help but feel nervous. Most of the kids were Sophomores and this was their first time doing anything like this. Sam had led the New Directions to victory before but he had never done it with so many newbies. He might have been more worried than they were.

"Alright, everyone huddle around." Sam said, standing in the choir room. McKinley High was hosting Sectionals this year.

"I want you guys to know how proud of you, I am. You have worked hard and you have worked as a team. So no matter what happens out there, we're going to be okay. I also want to thank Quinn and Rachel for everything they've done for us. We wouldn't be here without you guys." Sam said, looking around at his team. He really was proud of them and he truly cared about each and every one of those kids.

"Amazing on three." Sam said, putting his arm forward.

And with that, they were off to their seats. They were competing with the Warblers and Vocal Adrenaline. Both their performances were amazing but Sam somehow knew that they had in the bag.

Sam headed backstage for the New Directions performance and Rachel and Quinn went with them. Both of them held onto his arms, reassuring him during the performance. Till that point, Sam didn't really know which of the two he wanted to pick. He had always known that he loved them both but in that moment, he realised who he was truly in love with.

The New Directions performance went off without a hitch and they went onto win the competition. Sam was ecstatic. He had been having doubts about whether or not he was a good teacher and lifting that trophy had made him realise that this was what he was born to do.

Afterwards, Blaine, Kurt, Rachel, Quinn and Sam went to a bar to celebrate.

"To Sam." Blaine said, raising his glass.

"To the New Directions, old and new. None of this would've been possible without you guys." Sam said, raising his glass and smiling at his friends.

Everyone toasted to another milestone in their friendship. Somehow even the distance and life couldn't keep them away from each other or singing competitions for that matter.

"So where are you guys off to next?" Sam asked, taking a sip of his beer.

"I think we're going to stick around for a bit." Blaine said, with a smile.

"That's great! So many of us haven't been at the same place in ages." Sam said.

Their conversation was interrupted by a man walking up to their table.

"Rachel?" The man asked.

"Liam?" Rachel asked, hugging the man.

The rest of them looked at each other with confused looks on their faces.

"Guys, this is Liam. He worked on my show in New York." Rachel said, looking at her friends.

"Nice to meet you guys." Liam said. He was tall, well build man with brown hair.

"What are you doing here?" Rachel asked.

"I've moved here. I'm working on your new show." He said with a smile.

"That's great! Why didn't you tell me?" Rachel asked.

"I guess I wanted to surprise you." Liam said.

"Well I am surprised. Would you like to join us?" Rachel asked.

"I don't think I can tonight but we should catch up. I'll text you." Liam said.

"He's cute." Kurt said.

Rachel shot him a look.

"I'm just saying." Kurt said. Even though he knew exactly what was going on, Kurt loved stirring the pot. The awkwardness was very amusing to him.

After spending most of the night out, Sam still had to go to school the next day. He was exhausted. He didn't really expect Rachel and Quinn to be here, so he was pleasantly surprised to see Rachel walking up to him.

Quinn was right behind Rachel but stopped short of the door when she saw Rachel and Sam talking. She couldn't really hear what they were saying to each other but she knew it was serious. She could see Rachel smiling and after a while she and Sam just stood there, hugging.

Quinn knew this was about what Rachel had told him at the airport. This was it, he had picked her. The world felt like it was crashing around Quinn. She couldn't stop crying and rushed into the astronomy room to get some space. In the past few months, it had become her safe place. It had always reminded her of everything that was good and pure; it reminded her of Sam.

After a while, she finally managed to calm herself down. As she was walking out, she bumped into someone.

"Hey. I didn't know you would be here." Sam said.

"Hey, I was just leaving." Quinn said.

"Actually, could you stay? There's something I want to speak to you about." Sam said.

Quinn knew what Sam was going to say and it was the last thing she wanted to hear. But she agreed anyway, nodding silently.

"So, I've been doing a lot of thinking, about what you said and about how I feel." Sam said, taking a deep breath.

Quinn wanted to interrupt him and say she knew what he was going to say. She was trying to muster up the strength to say it was okay but couldn't do it. So she let him continue.

"I keep trying to picture my future, all of the things I want. The truth is, before you came back, I hadn't really thought that far ahead. I was doing my job, saving money, that felt enough. And then you came and you turned my world upside down, the way you always do." Sam said.

Sam began walking towards Quinn, reaching for her hand.

"Or so I thought. Every time, I think about all of the things I want, I think about high school. About the promise I made to you, all those years ago. And how even though everything has changed, you are still everything I want Quinn. You were my first love and I think I've known you're the one for me, all along. I think I knew it, the day you spent hours getting the slushy would of my hair and while I spoke Na'vi. I know we've been through a lot and it's not always easy with us but I don't want easy. I want you, for the rest of my life." Sam said.

Quinn hadn't stopped smiling for a second. She put a hand on the side of Sam's face and pulled him into a passionate kiss. She couldn't even remember how long she had waited to do this. There was so much to say but they now had the rest of their lives to say it. Standing there, kissing Sam was the most right, Quinn had ever felt and she never wanted to let go.

They finally pulled apart to catch their breath, both of them not being to contain their happiness.

"Wow." Quinn said finally.

"Yeah. If I would've known that was what kissing you would feel like, I would've said I love you a long time ago." Sam said, with a cheeky smile.

"You never actually said you love me." Quinn said, playfully looking at Sam.

"I love you, Quinn. Always have, always will." Sam said.

"I love you too, Sam." Quinn said, kissing him again.

All was right with the world again. It had been a long and hard journey but Quinn had finally found her other half. She finally felt complete and she couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life with the boy in her arms. Her fairy-tale had finally come true.


End file.
